contemporary sciences and islamic view

CONTEMPORARY SCIENCES AND ISLAMIC

VIEW

By. Husain Heriyanto

Islamic College For Advanced Studies

I C A S Jakarta

The discourse of the

relationship between

religion and contemporary

science arises mainly as a

result of three factors:

(1) The amazing development of modern science that

raises many fundamental questions, which are

deeper, radical, and more mysterious, demanding

philosophical and theological discussions. Those

questions have been raised by physicists about

quantum and relativity theory, by cosmologists

about our enormous universe, and by biologists

about our evolutionary past and future.

Ian G. Barbour says,

“Now we know that the cosmos has included stretches of

space and time that we can hardly imagine. What sort of

world is it in which those strange early states of matter and

energy could be the forerunners of intelligent life? Within a

theistic framework it is not surprising that there is

intelligent life on earth; we can see here the work of a

purposeful Creator. Theistic belief makes sense of this

datum and a variety of other kinds of human experience.”

Today many scientists and other scholars have been concerned about both religion and science particularly in order to establish a dialogue and an integrated viewpoint between them. We can list some of them:

Ian G. Barbour, When Science Meets Religion

Ian G. barbour, Religion in an Age of Science

Mehdi Golshani, From Physics to Metaphysics

Mehdi Golshani, Issues in Islam and Science

Osman Bakar, Tauhid and Science

Paul Davies, God and The New Physics

Paul Davies, The Mind of God

Arthur Peacocke, Paths From Science Towards God: The End of All Our Exploring

John Polkinghorne, Beyond Science

John Haught, Science and Religion

John Barrow and Frank Tipler, The Anthropic Cosmological Principle

Fritjof Capra, The Tao of Physics

Robert Russell, William Stoeger, and George

Coyne, Physics, Philosophy, And Theology: A

Common Quest for Understanding

(2) The responses of religion to

challenges posed by sciences. New

theories and discoveries in physics,

cosmology, biology and life sciences

(neurology, sociobiology) have brought

challenges to some traditional religious

ideas both in theory (theology,

metaphysics, epistemology) and

practice (ethics).

Arthur Peacock says,

Today it is the scientific worldview that constitutes the challenge to received understandings of nature, humanity and God – in a way that can be initially devastating yet is potentially creative. The credibility of all religions is at stake under the impact of new understandings of the natural world. The impact of science is a challenge primarily to theology, which is concerned with the articulation and justification of religious assertions about God and about God’s relation to nature and humanity.

(3) The responses of wise scholars (scientists, thinkers, philosophers, religious scholars) to problems of humanity, which are set up by science along with its technological implications.

Mehdi Golshani says,

There is no doubt that science and its technological offspring brought a lot of blessing for humanity, but the promised utopia – science can bring felicity and prosperity for humankind – did not materialized. Instead, science produced means of mass destruction and environmental pollution, and it disrupted the balance between the spiritual and the materialistic aspects of life and humanity witnessed world wars, poverty, injustice, moral-void, and violence.

Regarding the relation of science and religion in Islam, Golshani points out that this issue has been one of the hot topics of the last hundred and fifty years. Because the relation of science and religion is a controversial issue in the West meanwhile the progress of science and technology in the West has had a great impact on the Muslim societies, this controversy also is transferred to the Muslim academic circles.

‘ULTIMATE QUESTIONS’

RAISED BY SCIENCE

Perhaps it is out of expectation of many scientists themselves that the development of

modern science has led them to raise philosophical or theological problems, which are called ‘ultimate questions’. Prior to the

20th century the problem of creation has always been exclusively one of the major

problems of theologians and philosophers. But, since the first quarter of the 20th century it became the concern of scientific cosmology circles as well. Why does science come to this

issue?

Theory of relativity and quantum physics, the main pillars of contemporary science, have brought about a lot of questions in which science can’t answer more. One of the most important discoveries of modern cosmology that appeals for theological studies is a conviction – which has been gaining more acceptance – that the universe has a beginning. 

How did the universe come into

being? How did it begin? Was the

universe created? Why are the laws

of nature what they are? Why is

there complexity in nature? Does

evolution rule out God’s existence?

Does the universe have a design and

purpose? What does it mean to be

human? What are we all here for?

Are we determined or free?

Those cosmological, philosophical, and human questions are beyond science for which philosophy and

theology can play a significant role. Nowadays we witness the effort of

theoretical physicists for the unification of the fundamental

forces of nature. For a believing scientist it is the first step in the

quest for the Creator and the Sustainer of this harmonious

universe.

Cosmology and The Quest for Meaning

In 1929, the astronomer Edwin Hubble published the linear relationship

between the speed of the galaxies and their distance. It was then known the

velocity-distance law or simply Hubble’s law. The law states that the

more distant a galaxy, the faster it moves away. This discovery along with Friedman’s theory on an expansion of

space have been accepted as a generally correct model of universe.  

If the space is expanding, we can imagine running the process backward in time to watch the galaxies moving closer to each other. As the shrinking

space compresses its contents together, the temperature

dramatically increases. At about 15 billion years from the age of presently

‘observed’ universe, the whole universe as we know it is squeezed to an ever smaller size with unimaginable

density and temperature.

Cosmologists called the initial

state of maximum concentration

the “primeval atom”. It was the

first scientific of the origin of

the universe, which led to the

presently accepted Big Bang

model.

So, initially, everything was squashed together at a point (t = 0). There was

a Big Bang; the universe expanded and has continued doing so ever since. Considering unavoidable

evidence for the Big Bang cosmology, today almost all cosmologists leave

the steady-state theory and embrace the Big Bang theory on the “problem

of beginning” of the universe.

The Big Bang theory provides a mathematical description for the evolution of the cosmos,

according to which the universe started from an

infinite density and very high temperature and then

expanded, thinned out, and cooled.

This theory explains that the universe has a beginning: after an initial singularity, the

entire cosmos came into existence abruptly in a sort of a gigantic explosion. This explosion

did not occur at a point in space or time. Rather, it marked the ‘beginning of time’.

According to this model, space and time themselves came into being. Therefore, the

question of the Big Bang’s “when” and

“where” is meaningless.

Paul Davies puts it: “.. the question “what happened

before the Big Bang” is meaningless . there was no

such epoch as “before the Big Bang,” because time began

with the Big Bang. Many scientists clarify what it means to think of God as “Creator”.

The beginning of time coming-into-being of the

universe proof of God’s existence

General Theory of Relativity the Big Bang theory t =

0

(and astronomical evidences )

Bruno Guiderdoni Abd-al-Haqq, a French Moslem and a Director of Research at

the French National Center for Scientific Research, points out,

“The fundamental mystery that subtends physics and cosmology is

the fact that the world is intelligible.”

As we know that the primary goal of cosmology is to make the universe

intelligible, but intelligibility raises some philosophical and theological questions.

That is why Guiderdoni says, “For a believer, the world is intelligible because it

is created. The Qur’an strongly recommends to ponder, reflect and

mediate upon the Creation to find the traces of the Creator in its harmony;

hence the so-called cosmic verses, which are frequently quoted as one of the intellectual miracles included in the

Qur’anic text. “

Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the

alternation of the night and the day there are signs for men who

understand (men of sense). Those who remember Allah standing and

sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth : Oh Lord! Thou have not created this in vain. Glory be to

You! Save us from then from the chastisement of the Fire.

(Sura Ali Imran verses 190 –191)

We then know that the Holy Qur’an

refers to natural phenomena as the

signs of God and recommends the

study of various phenomenon of

nature as a path towards knowing

and serving God.

Say, travel in the earth and see how He originated the creation (He makes the first creation)

(Sura Al-Ankabut verse 20)

The Islamic tradition itself considers the reflection on God’s Handiwork as one of

the best types of God’s worship. For example, it is narrated from Imam Ali

(as) that:

There is no worship like reflection on God’s creation.

Theory of Everything and The Unity of God (al-Tawhid)

Some contemporary physicists are devoting a lot of efforts to

find a unity behind the apparent multiplicity of the natural order.

They are trying to present a unified picture of the world.

They are seeking the unification of the fundamental forces of

nature and they call a “theory of everything”.

In fact, the unitary view about the created order was common among all celebrated Muslim scientists of the past (the Islamic Civilization Golden Era). It was under the influence of

Qur’anic teachings that Muslim scientists emphasized the organic

interrelatedness of various branches of knowledge and tried to embed all

imported knowledge within the God-centered matrix of Islamic knowledge.

We also know that the idea of oneness of God is the most basic concept in Islam. It implies the unity of the

creation, i.e. the interrelatedness of all parts of

the world. This, in turn, implies the unity of knowledge.

Thus, the goal of scientific

enterprise has to be the

manifestation of the underlying

unity of the created world. This

means that various scientific

disciplines should be

synthesized to give an

harmonious picture of the world.

If there were (in the heaven and the earth) other gods besides Allah, there would have been confusion (in a state of disorder) in both.

(Sura Al-Anbiya: 22)

According to the Holy Qur’an, the unity of nature is a reflection of the unity of the Creator:

The Holy Qur’an mentions the regularities that are present in the world:

You will find no change in the Course of Allah (Sunnatullah).

(Sura Faathir: 43)There is no altering in Allah’s creation(Sura Ar-Ruum: 30)

Clearly, this does not mean that

the Creation is immutable. But,

that there is a stability in the

Creation that reflects God’s

immutability. We know that

there are the numerical aspect

of cosmic regularities. The

Holy Qur’an says:

“The Sun and the Moon (are ordered) according to an exact computation (husban).

(Sura The Beneficent, Ar-Rahman verse 5).

So, a Muslim cosmologist is not surprised that the laws of physics we

design and use to describe cosmic regularities are based on

mathematics. In other word, we can say that the concept Tauhid is the

only viewpoint accommodating intelligibility of the universe,

interrelatedness of all parts of the world, and unity of the world as

scientists today seeking (theory of everything).

Just as the Big Bang theory recommends having a view in which a creation is constantly renewed, there are verses in the Qur’an which have been

interpreted by Muslim scholars (such as Mulla Sadra) to

indicate continuous creation:

All those who are in the heaven and

the earth ask of Him; Every

moment He is in a state (of glory).(Sura The Beneficent, Ar-Rahman: 29)

Were We worn out by the first creation? Yet they are in doubt with regard to a new creation(Sura Qaaf: 15)

Mulla Sadra, a great Sufi and

Muslim philosopher, in fact, has

viewpoint that coincides with

the Big Bang theory, which

based on relativity and

quantum theory. Mulla Sadra

says,

The essence of everything is

continually renewed creation at

every moment. The creation did

not take place in time, but

occurred with time. Time is the

measure of the universal

motion.

Sadra’s viewpoint on space, time and

motion is supported by Einstein’s

relativity theory and quantum physics as

well as the Big Bang theory. As we know

Sadra came to that his viewpoint based

on the Qur’anic teaching and mystical-

philosophical experience.

This phenomenon is amazing why the

mystical experience and philosophical

reflection precede the scientific

discovery.

The Anthropic Principle

There are a lot of data and

cosmological facts leading

cosmologists draw an interesting

principle, namely The Anthropic

Principle, to make sense those data.

Many cosmologists have pointed out

that the possibility of life, as we know

it depends on the value of a few basic

constants and is remarkably sensitive

to them.

Among these fine-tuned

phenomena are following:

Stephen Hawking writes,

If the rate of expansion one second after the Big Bang had been smaller by even one part in a hundred thousand million it would have collapsed before it reached its present size.

1. The Expansion Rate

On the other hand, if it had been

greater by one part in a million, the

universe would have expanded too

rapidly for stars and planets to

form. The expansion rate itself

depends on many factors, such as

the initial explosive energy, the

mass of the universe, and the

strength of gravitational forces.

The cosmos seems to be balanced

on a knife edge.

2. The Formulation of the

Elements If the strong nuclear forces had

been even slightly weaker, we

would have had only hydrogen in

the universe. If the force had been

even slightly stronger, all the

hydrogen would have been

converted to helium. In either

case, stable stars and compounds

such as water could not have been

formed.

Similarly, the nuclear force is only barely sufficient for carbon to form, yet it had been slightly stronger, the carbon would all

have been converted into oxygen. As we know the element carbon

has many properties that are crucial to the later development

or organic life.

3. The Particle/Antiparticle Ratio

For every billion antiprotons

in the early universe, there were

one billion and one protons. The

billion pairs annihilated each

other to produce radiation, with

just one proton left over.

A greater or smaller number

of survivors – or no survivors at

all (if they had been evenly

matched) – would have made

our kind of material world

impossible. If the laws of

physics are symmetrical

between particles and

antiparticles, why was there a

tiny asymmetry here?

Now, we raise a question: why

were those data and numerical

facts absolutely matched, fine-

tuned, harmonized,

synchronized? Did they exist

by chance or by purpose?

If we keep our sound reason, it

is necessary for us to draw a

conclusion that all those

cosmological data and facts,

which were entirely fine-tuned

and harmonized, have design

and purpose. This is a most

reasonable and intelligible

choice for human being. Our

life could not have originated

by chance.

So, the universe is purposeful and

meaningful in which God is the

Creator and Designer. The

existence of God has been a

necessity to make the universe

reasonable and intelligible and to

avoid the skepticism and nihilism

(purposeless, meaningless view)

In short, the anthropic principle

states that what we can expect

to observe must be restricted to

the necessary condition for our

presence as observers (an

intelligent being).

Belief in a Purposeful

Universe

In the Qur’anic view, God

created (creates) everything in

measure and decided for it a

telos:

We have not created the heavens

and the earth, and whatsoever is

between them in vain; that is the

opinion of those who disbelieve.

(Sura Shaad: 27)

The Holy Qur’an talks about a

universal notion of purpose and

direction to the created universe:

He (Moses) said: Our Lord is He

Who gave to everything its

creation, then guided it (to its

goal).

(Sura Taa Ha:

50)

The Qur’anic notion of a telos to the

created universe is accompanied by

the notion of Hereafter (Yaum-al-

Qiyamah), where everything meets its

proper destination and the pious feel

the presence of God. Without

Hereafter, the whole creation be in

vain:

Did you think that We had created you

only for sport (in vain) and that you

would not be returned to Us?

(Sura Al-Mu’minun: 115)

So, we can come to the next

conclusion that in order to make our

life intelligible, hopeful, meaningful,

we must believe in Hereafter. This

belief is the reasonable choice for

our human reason.

Commitments to Moral

Values

The Holy Qur’an considers the

commitment to moral values as

one of the main objectives of

the prophetic mission:

He is the One Who raised among the

illiterates a Messenger from among

themselves, who recites to them His

communications and purifies them, and

teaches them the Book and the Wisdom,

although they were before certainly in

clear error.

(Sura Al-Jumu’ah:

2)

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said

the same thing:

Verily, I was sent out to complete high moral standards.

With regard relation of science (knowledge) and value (moral

action), Imam Ali said:

The fruit of knowledge is worshipSeek knowledge so that it may

provide you with a decent (straight, well-mannered) means

of living

So, today we need a more integrated

framework, paradigm and viewpoint in which

knowledge, science, and moral or human

values can be integrated and interrelated to

each other. The only paradigm having

capability to meet this need is the Islamic

worldview, which is based on the principle of

unity of God, the principle of unity of the

purposeful universe.

 We believe that many contemporary world’s problems

are rooted in the secular and materialistic worldview that has dominated the minds of policy

makers, scientists, and all other agencies affecting the public. We

are required to replace the prevalent secular worldview by

theistic worldview which is centered around God.